He says he was upgraded to first class based on the thousands of miles he has flown and he had every right to be there. It didn’t work out that way for GOP Congressman Rodney Davis. He was confronted by a passenger who demanded to know why he was sitting there when the government was shut down. It was a matter of appearances. It looked bad and hence, someone took offence. This is a perennial bugbear in public relations. Even though organizations and individuals have leeway to engage in an activity, they might be prevented by how it looks. It takes courage to proceed and a willingness to combat criticism. Perception is an enemy of action.